A twist on story time: New program has students read to kittens to gain confidence



JANESVILLE -- A new reading program at a Janesville elementary school has kids "purring" to open a book. To help students build confidence in their reading skills-- Adams Elementary School is bringing kittens into the classroom.

For six weeks, two kittens from the Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin will be brought to school so students can practice their reading skills. It empowers the kids by giving them a pair of fluffy, nonjudgmental ears to read aloud to.



 

"The biggest thing I've noticed in the students is the confidence," Principal Dana Simmons said. "One morning a student arrived and said, 'I can't wait. I'm going to make a difference today because I get to read with kittens."

It turns out, it's not just the kids who benefit from story time. The attention from the kids help the kittens born in the wild acclimate to life as a house pet.

 

The program ends in two weeks but the hope is to make it available in all schools in the county by the time school starts again in the fall.